In protest of the country’s direction under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities large and small across the United States for “No Kings” demonstrations that the president’s Republican Party has disparaged as “hate-America” rallies.
With banners such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protest” or “Resist fascism,” in many places, the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner bearing the preamble to the United States Constitution that people could sign, and demonstrators wore inflatable costumes, especially frogs, which have appeared as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.
It was Third mass mobilization Since Mr. Trump’s return to the White House, he came against the backdrop of… Government shutdown Which not only closed the federal Programs and services But it also tests the fundamental balance of power, faced with an aggressive executive Congress and the courts In ways that protest organizers warn represent a slide toward authoritarianism.
President Trump himself was spending the weekend at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The president said in a Fox News interview that aired early Friday, before leaving to attend a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser for MAGA Inc. At his club: “They say they refer to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
Later on Friday, a Trump campaign social media account mocked the protests by posting a computer-generated video of the president dressed like a king, wearing a crown and waving from a balcony.
Demonstrations nationwide
People gathered in New York City’s Times Square, Boston Common, and Chicago’s Grant Park; outside the state capital in Tennessee, Indiana, and a courthouse in Billings, Montana; And in hundreds of smaller public places. Organizers said more than 2,600 marches were planned that day.
Many protesters said they were angry about the attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reiman said that Republicans calling him a terrorist all week was “pathetic.”
“This is America,” Rayman said, holding a large American flag. “I don’t agree with their policies, but I don’t think they don’t love this country.” “I think they are misguided. I think they are power-hungry.”
More than 1,500 people gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, publicly recalling and citing the city’s history of protests and the crucial role they played in the civil rights movement two generations ago.
“It’s like we live in the America I don’t know,” said Jessica Uther, a mother of four. She and other protesters said they felt camaraderie by gathering in a state where Trump won nearly 65% of the vote last November.
“It was very encouraging,” Ms. Uther said. “I walked in and thought: ‘This is my people.’”
In San Francisco, hundreds of people wrote the phrase “No to Kings” and other phrases on the ocean beach with their bodies. Protesters in Salt Lake City gathered outside the Utah State Capitol to exchange messages Hope and healing After a The protester was shot During the city’s first “No to Kings” march in June.
Organizers hope to build an opposition movement
“Large rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.
During the protests earlier this year – Against Elon Musk’s cuts And Mr. Trump Military parade – Drawing crowds, organizers say the event unites the opposition. Top Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, are joining what organizers see as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s suppression of free speech to its military raids on immigration.
“We are here because we love America,” Senator Sanders said, addressing the crowd from a podium in Washington. He said that the American experience is “in danger” under President Trump. But he insisted, “We the people will rule.”
The national march against Trump and Musk last spring had 1,300 registered sites, while the first “No Kings” Day in June registered 2,100 sites.
Republican critics condemn the demonstrations
Republicans have sought to portray protesters as outside the mainstream and a major reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.
From the White House to Capitol Hill, Republican Party leaders called the protesters “communists” and “Marxists.” They said Democratic leaders, including Senator Schumer, are beholden to the far left wing and are willing to keep the government closed to appease those liberal forces.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said: “I encourage you to watch what we are calling the America Hate March — which will happen on Saturday.”
“Let’s see who shows up in that,” Johnson said, referring to groups that include “Antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism,” and “Marxists in all their forms.”
In response, many protesters said they were taking such exaggeration with good humor, noting that Mr. Trump often relies heavily on theatrics such as claiming that the cities he is sending troops into are war zones.
“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and ridiculous that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Glenn Calbaugh, a protester in Washington who wore a witch’s hat and carried a sign with a frog.
The New York Police Department did not announce any arrests during the protests in the city.
Democrats are trying to regain their footing amid the shutdown
Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand health care funding. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.
The situation represents a potential shift from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and desperate. Senator Schumer, in particular, has been rebuked by his own party for allowing a previous government funding bill to pass through the Senate without using it to challenge President Trump.
“What we see from Democrats is the backbone,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a major organizing group. “The worst thing Democrats can do now is give up.”
This story was reported by the Associated Press.
Associated Press journalists Matt Brown, Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking in Washington, Jill Colvin and Joseph Frederick in New York, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Chris Megerian in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Bill Barrow in Birmingham, Alabama. Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama. Contribute.